21.   Pope John Paul II on Friday urged Italian kidnapping gangs to release their victims hours after police foiled an attempt to abduct yet another businessman on Sardinia.

22.   A pro-government daily reported Saturday that airport security officers had foiled an attempt to hijack a Kuwaiti jetliner and arrested a Filipino allegedly recruited for the job by Iraq.

23.   A salvage ship tried to retrieve the bow early Sunday, but rough seas foiled the attempt.

24.   A senior Arafat aide, meanwhile, said Palestinian security agents have foiled attempts by Iran to assassinate Arafat and senior Palestinian Authority officials.

25.   Aircraft security officers have foiled an attempt to hijack an Iranian airliner on a domestic flight, the official Iranian news agency reported Sunday.

26.   Airport security officers foiled the attempt.

27.   Also Saturday, an Israeli army spokesman said that Israeli forces foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons from Egypt to the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip.

28.   But officials have said that Russian security services have foiled several attempts by private individuals to provide Iran with dual-use technology.

29.   But security officials have said they have foiled attempts by Russian companies to provide Iran with dual-purpose technology.

30.   But officials have said they have foiled attempts by Russian companies to provide Iran with dual-purpose technology.